What does Article 1 of the Constitution say?

Article 1 is the first article of the United States Constitution and also the longest article of the constitution.

But, what is Article 1 of the Constitution?

Article 1 deals with the legislative branch. This refers to Congress which is made up of the House of Representatives and also the Senate.

Article 1 of the Constitution Summary – The Legislative Branch

The Founding Fathers divided the United States Constitution into seven individual articles. These 7 articles each laid the foundation for a specific aspect of the American government.

 For example, Article One of the Constitution laid the foundation for the United States Congress, the federal government’s legislative branch. This branch is tasked with the creation of new laws or legislation.

In the next few paragraphs, we’ll look at everything you need to know about Article One of the Constitution. 

What is the United States Congress?

Article 1 is about the Legislative Branch. According to the foundation outlined in Article One of the Constitution, the United States Congress is a bicameral legislature.

Legislature is another word for an assembly or group of people tasked with deliberation.

Bicameral means that this legislature has two distinct bodies, with these bodies being known as the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representatives is known as the “lower house” of the United States Congress, and the Senate is known as the “upper house.”

The Senate has more power and fewer members.

What Is the House of Representatives?

As the Lower House of the bicameral Congress, the House of Representatives is tasked with the initial passing of federal legislation in the form of proposed “bills.”

Once the House approves these Representatives’ bills, they will need to be approved by the Senate. The House of Representatives, as the name would suggest, features representatives from every state in the country.

The number of representatives is determined by each state’s population number. Therefore, a state with a larger population has a greater number of representatives.

What is the Senate?

The Senate is the second part of congress that bills will have to pass through before they make it to the desk of the President of the United States. The Senate is a smaller body than the House of Representatives, and it is much harder to become a member.

The Senate is made out of representatives from each state, similar to the House of Representatives.

The United States’ vice president is in charge of the Senate. 

Division of Power Allows for Checks and Balances

Article 1 of the Constitution lays explicitly the foundation for the United States Congress. It creates a bicameral legislative branch so that there are checks and balances regarding what laws are passed. This is clear to see by having both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

If the Constitution gave just one part all of the power, they could theoretically pass any laws or amendments they wanted. If that body were to become compromised or corrupt, there would be no other body to keep them in check.

This Concept of Checks and Balances Is Not Unique to Article One

The point of Article One is to ensure that only fair laws are allowed to become federal legislation. This system of checks and balances existing within the legislative branch government mirrors the checks and balances between the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches that make up the United States government as a whole.

The Founding Fathers when writing the constitution aimed to include as many checks and balances in the Constitution as possible to prevent the government from being corrupt. They also wanted to avoid creating amendments that were not in line with the Constitution.

Article One Dictates How the United States Congress Should Be Staffed

Article 1, Section 1 lays the foundation for this bicameral legislature and defines what these two bodies are tasked with doing. Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution also explicitly details how these two separate bodies are staffed.

The terms for becoming a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate are thoroughly explained in Article One. Both require some unique qualifications that aim to make it so only those who are indeed up to the task of making critical legislative decisions are allowed to join.

Staffing the House of Representatives

According to Article One of the Constitution, members of the House of Representatives are elected once every two years. Each state’s citizens’ current population determines the number of seats available.

Staffing the US Senate

In Article 1, Section 2, the terms set forth for staffing the Senate are slightly more strict, as the Senate has a slight increase in power over the House of Representatives. Instead of the number of representatives determined based on population, every state is given two senators no matter the size.

This mechanism makes it so that states with lower or more thoroughly dispersed populations are not silenced by states with higher or more condensed populations. Each senator serves a six-year term.

According to Article One senators were supposed to be elected by the state legislatures themselves. This changed with the introduction of the 17th Amendment where senators are now elected directly by each state’s citizens.

The Many Other Powers of the Legislative Branch

The remaining sections of Article One of the Constitution establish the specific goals and powers of the United States Congress and its two distinct branches. For example, Article 1, Section 4 says that the United States Congress is given the autonomy to police its elections and police its members by punishment or expulsion.

Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution also sets forth how members of the United States Congress are to be compensated.

How Bills Become Laws (And How the President Can Stop Them)

Article 1, Section 7 of the US Constitution dictates how bills are passed through the House of Representatives, then through the Senate, and finally, make it to the US President’s desk. The president has veto power, which means that the president can choose not to pass the said bill into law.

However, if the president agrees with the bill, they will sign it, and the bill will be passed into law.

The Terms of Article One Are Important for Understanding Congress’ Powers

Article 1, Sections 8 and Article 1, Section 9 and Article 1, Section 10 of Article 1 give the United States Congress a few more essential powers, such as the power to print and regulate money, the ability to establish post offices, the power to appoint federal courts beneath their jurisdiction, and, perhaps most importantly, the power to declare war.

While the Constitution of the United States was cautious in giving no single branch of the United States government total control, it does give a large amount of power to its legislative branch.

Effects of 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865 and affects article 1 of the constitution. The 13th Amendment effectively abolished slavery and gave them constitutional rights. Therefore in Article 1, when it refers to free men or citizens, that definition is changed by the 13th Amendment.

Ramifications of Article 1

Understanding all of the ramifications of the terms outlined in Article One is incredibly important for understanding all of the United States Congress’ many powers.

The following is a graphical representation of Article 1 of the Constitution. Feel free to borrow it or print it out as long as you keep the reference to this website. You can click on it for a larger copy.

Click on the following video for more information about Article 1:

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